Definition of liaison

3a: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force)b: a person who establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation a press liaison

4: the pronunciation of an otherwise absent consonant sound at the end of the first of two consecutive words the second of which begins with a vowel sound and follows without pause

liaison was our Word of the Day on 08/16/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of liaison in a Sentence

Today's army works on rotations; soldiers are deployed for about a year and then (in principle at least) they come home. When that happens, local liaisons and intelligence relationships must be rebuilt. —James K. Galbraith, Mother Jones, March/April 2006

I had known Korologos when I was Solicitor General, and he was the Nixon White House's liaison to the Senate. He was a great support. —Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America, 1990

Gossip columnists began to infer from Evelyn's disappearances that she was engaging in reckless liaisons, and her name was linked with dozens of men around town. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975

Here's how to try it in Kentucky
More: Here's a list of the hottest books of the summer, according to Carmichael's Bookstore
Burney also worked as a volunteer Jefferson County Courthouse liaison for 30 years.

Here's how to try it in Kentucky More: Here's a list of the hottest books of the summer, according to Carmichael's Bookstore
Burney also worked as a volunteer Jefferson County Courthouse liaison for 30 years.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'liaison.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you took French in school, you might remember that liaison is the term for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like beaux arts sounds like "bo zart." We can thank French for the origin of the term, as well. Liaison derives from the Middle French lier, meaning "to bind or tie," and is related to our word liable. Our various English senses of liaison apply it to all kinds of bonds-from people who work to connect different groups to the kind of relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are attracted to one another.